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November 2014 Vol - 2 Issue- 11

DIAGNOSING FACTORS INFLUENCING

CUSTOMERS PATRONIZING IN QUICK-CASUAL
RESTAURANT
Nor Azureen Rozekhi1, Shahril Hussin2 , Putri Dahlia
Ab Rashid3 , Ashraf Siddik Khan Abdul Rahim Siddiqe4 ,
Noor Saliza Salmi5 & Irina Mohd Akhir6

1-6
Faculty of Hotel & Tourism Management, UiTM (Pulau Pinang), 13500
Permatang Pauh, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

ABSTRACT

T he importance of the quick-casual sector in the restaurant industry hasbeendramatically

increased over the years. However, the attention and information in this area are still limited.
With that view, this study attempts to diagnose the relationship of foodservice quality dimensions
specifically food, service and ambience with the propensity and intention of customer to patronize the
quick-casual restaurant in Malaysia. A total of 120 customer’s responses was gathered for further analysis
via self-administered questionnaires during the period of two weekends at various quick-casual restaurants
in Seberang Jaya, Penang. Information gathered is analyzed using Cronbach’s Alpha for reliability test,
together with descriptive statistics of frequency, percentage, correlation analysis and standard multiple
regression. Findings revealed that all foodservice quality dimensions (food, service and ambience) have
significant relationships with the propensity and the intention of the customer in patronizing the quick-
casual restaurant. The results also indicate that ambience dimension is the most influential dimension
determining patronization of customers. Altogether, this study not only revealed the factors affecting
propensity and intention of customer to patronize the restaurant, but probably creating a new body of
literature in Malaysia and definitely continuing the existing literature in hospitality research. Furthermore,
this study could assist the owner or management of restaurant organizations to improve their business
and generate greater revenues in the future.
KEYWORDS: Foodservice quality dimension, Food, Service, Ambience, Propensity and intention,
Quick-casual restaurant
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1. INTRODUCTION
Nowadays, people are eating out of
home more frequently and this has become a
trend. People tend to eat-out because of many
reasons. They tend to dine in at a variety of
restaurants namely fast food, fine dining,
cafeteria, food court, casual and also a quick-
casual restaurant. The quick-casual restaurants
have many special characteristics that can
attract more people to have their meal there. A
quick-casual restaurant is a type of restaurant
that does not give full table service, but promises
a higher quality of food and ambience than
a fast food restaurant. In other words, a quick-
casual restaurant may still take orders at the
counter, but offers table-side food delivery and
pick-up service. The food is made to order, not
pre-assembled. The restaurant is comfortable
and well-decorated, and the price are more
affordable than a casual dining restaurant.
Quick-casual restaurants offer options that
retain the concept of fast food, but encourage
the comfort and atmosphere of casual dining
and quality items that met the consumers’
satisfaction.
Although the importance of a quick-
casual sector in the restaurant industry has
been dramatically increased, it has not yet
achieved much attention in research. Despite
the managerial importance of physical
environment, empirical research on the
consequences of the physical environment in
concurrence with food and service on quality
perception is still insufficient in the hospitality
literature. Even though some previous studies
have been conducted on the separate influences
of these three effects on the customer’s
perception of restaurant service quality, no
studies addressed their combined impact (Han
and Ryu, 2009). The combined effects of food,
service, and ambience, such as customer
satisfaction also has been ignored.
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To fill the research gap, this study focus
on factors influencing customers in patronizing
the quick-casual restaurant in Malaysia context.
In line with the present lifestyle of Malaysian
that often eating out, therefore it is needed to
understand about the factors that can
contribute to customer satisfaction, loyalty, as
well as behavioral intention. Indeed, there are
a lot of research about this topic area around
the world. However, there is a lack of study
concerning related topic in Malaysia. With that
notion, this research will examine and identify
the exact factors that can influence the
propensity and intention of Malaysian
customers to patronize in the quick-casual
restaurant.
2.PROPENSITY AND INTENTION OF
CUSTOMER TO PATRONIZE IN
QUICK-CASUAL RESTAURANT
Product (food), performance (service
personnel), and setting (ambience), together or
separately, were three important factors that
give to overall satisfaction with the dining
experience and return patronage (Han & Ryu,
2009; Soriano, 2002; Sulek & Hensley, 2004). Han
and Ryu (2009) also noted in their research,
quality of food, quality of service and quality of
the physical environment has a positive
influence on customer satisfaction. Their study
findings recommended that the food quality was
the most powerful predictor of consumer loyalty
in restaurant choice.
According to Peri (2006), food quality is
an essential matter to satisfy the needs and
expectations of consumers. Soriano (2002)
mentioned that the quality of service is
considered to be an important factor for
restaurant customer. Chang (2000) suggested
that perceived physical environment was a
direct indicator of a customer’s satisfaction.
While, Ryu and Han (2009) stated in their
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EPRA International Journal of Economic and Business Review
research, satisfying physical surroundings for
instance, music may identify to a large extent
the degree of overall satisfaction and following
behavior in the restaurant industry. All of this
show that, there are relationship between food
dimension, service dimension and ambience
dimension with the propensity and intention
of customer to patronize in the quick-casual
restaurant.
3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This study adopts a descriptive research
design with quantitative approach. A survey
consisting of self-completed questionnaires
were distributed to some quick-casual
restaurants in Seberang Jaya, Penang. Shopping
complex and hypermarkets such as Sunway
Carnival, Tesco, Aeon Big, and Giant provide
several quick-casual restaurants like Pizza Hut,
Nandos, and Kenny Rogers Roasters.
From a total of 135 questionnaires
collected in a period of two weeks, only 120
responses were fully completed and used for
data analyses. The questionnaires were adapted
from Rahman et al. (2012), which divided into
three main sections. Section A dealing with the
respondents’ demographic profiles. The
instruments in Section B (independent
variables) were developed to assess
respondents’ agreeable level based on their
experience having the meal at quick-casual
restaurants that related to food (8 items), service
(4 items), and ambience (6 items).
The propensity and intention of
customers to patronize in the quick-casual
restaurant (dependent variable) in Section C
was constructed with 5 items. Five-point Likert
scale ranging from ‘Strongly Disagree’(1) to
‘Strongly Agree’(5) were used to indicate the
respondent’s level of agreement. A pilot test of
the research instrument was conducted prior
to the actual data gathering in order to verify
whether each question is well constructed
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(Bryman & Bell, 2007). Information gathered is
analyzed using Cronbach’s Alpha for reliability.
From the reliability analysis, all factors
including independent and dependent variables
were found to have high reliability with
Cronbach’s Alpha above 0.7. The results are
shown in Table 1.
4. DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS
The descriptive statistic is used to
analyze the respondents’ demographic profiles
focusing on the customers’ personal
information, including their awareness on
quick-casual restaurants.
4.1 Respondents’ Profile:-
From the descriptive statistics, the gender
distribution of the respondents was slightly
higher for males (53.3%). Malays constituted
almost 88.3% of the sample. In terms of age,
the majority of the respondents were in the age
group of 21–30 (77.5%). Regarding education,
56.7% of the sample were bachelor degree
holders and almost 84% of the respondents
already recognized what is a quick-casual
restaurant.
4.2 Hypothesis Testing:-
Correlation analysis was conducted to test
the relationship between the foodservice quality
dimensions and their behavioral intention. The
sample for this study had been collected at
several quick-casual restaurants in the area of
Seberang Jaya, Penang. Based on the result in
Table 2, the statistic indicates a variety of
relationships among the variables. The result
shows that there is a significant correlation
between food dimension and behavioral
intention (sig. value = 0.000 < 0.01). The result
also shows that food dimension has a medium
positive coefficient of correlation with the r
value 0.437. Similarly, the result also
demonstrates that there is a significant
relationship between service dimension and
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behavioral intention (sig. value = 0.000 < 0.01) of food presentation, freshness, price of the
with a medium positive correlation coefficient food, and variety of menu items also influence
value (r = .491). While the correlation analysis them to patronize in the quick-casual
for ambience dimension and behavioral restaurant.
intention indicates that there is a strong positive Service dimension such as speed of
correlation between the two variables (r = .650, service is the factor that draws respondents to
sig. value = 0.000 < 0.01). patronize in the quick-casual restaurants.
Then, multiple regression analysis was According to Haghighi et al. (2012), service
used to further assess the relationship between quality has a positive impact on customer
foodservice quality dimensions and behavioral satisfaction. The restaurant staff behavior,
intention. The three dimensions in foodservice product, and service quality fairness affect the
quality dimension were regressed on the consumers’ intention to patronize in the quick-
behavioral intention. Result in Table 3 indicates casual restaurant.
that foodservice dimension is positively Restaurant ambience is an important
correlated at a high level (r = .668, p < 0.05). factor in predicting customer satisfaction and
The dimensions in independent variables behavior. In the restaurant environment,
explained 44.6% of the variance in the customers are directly in contact with
dependent variable. All dimensions of restaurant services (Haghighi et al., 2012). The
independent variables; food, service and cleanliness of the restaurant, lighting, music,
ambience are significant (p < 0.05). The spatial layout, aesthetic appeal, and pleasant
standardized beta coefficient was referred to aroma are among the elements in influencing
evaluate the tendency of dimensions in the restaurant customers’ behavioral intention. It
independent variables toward dependent is also worth noted that ambience dimension
variable. The most influential dimension in is the most influential factor for customers to
independent variables is the ambience patronize the quick-casual restaurants. Majority
dimension (β = .517), followed by food respondents found the quick-casual
dimension (β = .138) and service dimension (β restaurants’ bright lightings, comfortable
= .101). The beta coefficient explained that, when furnishings, and pleasant physical
all other dimensions were held constant, every surroundings are the main reasons to patronize
unit increased in foodservice quality in the quick-casual restaurant.
dimension; behavioral intention will increase 6. CONCLUSIONS
by 0.416, 0.093 and 0.116 units respectively. The importance of customer
5. DISCUSSIONS satisfaction is undeniable in maintaining
Based on the findings earlier, all three customer loyalty and intention to patronize in
dimensions are proven to have a significant the quick-casual restaurant. This is stressed by
relationship with the behavioral intention. Food Lin and Mattila (2006), where customer loyalty
dimension, especially the taste of food is one is the key to long-term success for service
of the factors that attract respondents to businesses, including trendy restaurants. At the
patronize in the quick-casual restaurant. Food moment, the quick-casual restaurant is the
quality is also the most important factor popular place among customers for their
affecting customer trust (Haghighi et al., 2012). conveniences. Hence, the management of
Respondents also agreed that the attractiveness quick-casual restaurants need to observe and
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EPRA International Journal of Economic and Business Review
identify the factors that could improve and
fulfill customer satisfaction. For the restaurant
industry, it is important to understand the
attributes which influence customers’ decisions
to return to a restaurant for another meal
(Soriano, 2002). Based on the results obtained
in this study, Malaysian consumers, especially
in Penang, patronize in the quick-casual
restaurant because of three factors: ambience,
food, and service. Their satisfactions are
increased if the restaurant offers the best
elements of those three factors that eventually
will assure their intention and loyalty in
patronizing quick-casual restaurants.

APPENDIX

Table 1: Reliability Test

Items Cronbach’s Alpha No. of Items
Food Dimension .833 8
Service Dimension .714 4
Ambience .769 6
Dimension
Behavioral .823 4
Intention

Table 2: Correlation of All Variables

Measure 1 2 3 4
1 Food Dimension - - - .437**
2 Service Dimension - - .491**
3 Ambience Dimension - .650**
4 Behavioral Intention -

*Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). N= 120

Table 3: Regression Analysis of Foodservice Quality Dimensions and Behavioral

Intention

Model Summary
Model R R Square Adjusted R Square Std. Error of the Estimate

1 .668 .446 .432 2.41921

a.Predictors: (Constant), Ambience, Food and Service Dimension

Coefficients
Model Unstandardized Std. Coefficients
Coefficients t Sig.
B Std. Error Beta
1 (Constant) .968 1.560 .621 .536
Food .093 .054 .138 1.707 .091
Service .116 .105 .101 1.108 .270
Ambience .416 .076 .517 5.482 .000
a.Dependent Variable: Behavioral Intention/ Propensity Intention

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